http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/11/20/2010-11-20_pope_benedict_xvi_condom_use_ok_in_certain_circumstances__but_not_to_fight_aids.html
Hey guys,
Above I posted the link to an article on Pope Benedict XVI's opinions on the use of contraception in order to prevent the spread of aids. This is a very radical idea because many Catholics traditionally believe that the use of birth control interferes with the will of God. Another common concern is if the Church encourages the use of birth control it will influence people's decisions to have pre-marital sex. I was wondering what your opinions on the article were, and also if any of you believed that religion can develop overtime in order to compensate for changes in society?
-Michelle
I found this article to very interesting because of the controversy the subject warrants, and even more so because of the situations the Pope found contraceptive use to be admissible. What jumped out at me initially was the Pope's endorsement of condom use among male prostitutes. I found it shocking this would be the example used because the catholic church as a whole certainly does not endorse such acts. To me, it seemed as though the Pope was saying the use of a condom was acceptable in situations that under the classic catholic ideals are not permissible. I would be interested in seeing the response of other religious institutions to the Pope's claims.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this article is a controversial subject deeply rooted in the concept of what is "traditional" in the Catholic faith. Being a Catholic myself, I can relate to some of the dilemmas presented in this article. However, I do not posses many of the "traditional" beliefs of Catholicism. In other words, my opinions may not represent most members of the Church. Personally, I think that birth control should be accepted in any form and for any purpose. With all of the infections in the world today, I think any precautionary method of prevention is justified. I also believe that religion should evolve with changes in society. Many years ago it may have been the norm to wait until marriage to have sex but this no longer seems to be the case. I think endorsing safe sex is a good idea considering the number of people now practicing pre-marital sex. Also, spreading awareness of safe sex may also help prevent teenage pregnancy and other sexual transmitted infections. Aside from the issue of contraception, another example can be seen on the issue of child molestation. Although this may have not always been an issue, child molestation cases are becoming more frequent. For this reason I think the Church should alter certain rules in order to cope with changes/ advances in society.
ReplyDeleteI believe strongly that religion can be modified and developed overtime; in this case, however, I do not think the Pope intended to contradict the beliefs of the Catholic church. Except for the comment regarding the male prostitute, I can understand the Pope's position and I agree. This article states that the Pope said condom usage was justified if used to reduce the spread of infections, but not the answer to stop the spread of infections alone. He may have intended to say that condom usage is justified to stop infection in a married couple, if one spouse may be infected. Therefore, I believe he is not making a statement justifying either birth control or pre-martital sex; instead, he is reiterating that as not only Christians, but human beings, we have a responsibility to keep those around us safe and healthy. I would very much like to read the Pope's original response to both make my own opinion on its entirety - since the author of the article seemed to have her own opinion -, and also read the entire example of the male prostitute with the rest of the Pope's response to see if there was more explanation to the ways in which it supported his point.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sahar that religion is constantly evolving. I think that by announcing that condoms are acceptable, even if only for health reasons, the pope is taking huge step towards the liberalization of the church. At one point in time it was completely unacceptable to have relations before marriage, however it seems that people have either stopped listening to the scriptures or that they are starting to interpret the scripture in a different, more modern way. The pope made an official statement on sex, and Sahar points out he uses it in the context of marriage, yet the simple acknowledgement seems to reduce the gravity of the action as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFrom the article, it's hard to tell what the Pope was getting at, and it seems as though the author has taken the Pope's words out of context. Even the title has a somewhat suggestive connotation. In my opinion, religion can and should develop over time. In many cases the rules created thousands of years ago are not applicable in today's society. I think that people sometimes take things too literally, instead of looking at them subjectively. I don't think people should change their religious views, or devalue themselves due to societal changes; however, I do feel that as time changes people should be able to adapt without losing their morality.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about the issue of the pope claiming condoms are okay in the situation to prevent infections. That just shows the Catholic Church becoming more liberal in a sense because of how our society has changed drastically from back in the day. If we went back 10 years, the art of the use of condoms would not even be spoken in the Catholic Church because one shouldn't even think of have premarital sex in the first place. However, in our society today people are more and more having premarital sex and it is becoming difficult to condone the use of condoms at all. What the pope has decided is a very good thing in my opinion so that many will not feel shamed of their actions. I also do believe that a religion can in some cases develop in order to compensate its society, but i feel that only will go for more universal religions rather than folk religions.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that the Pope is making at least somewhat of an effort to adapt his views to modern times. The church definitely needs to be evolving with the rest of the world in order to still be considered relevant and authoritative. Although I personally do not believe that the Pope's opinions should affect how people live their lives, I recognize that he has a responsibility to the followers of the church that still look to the him as a guide. I think that his approval of the use of condoms, however limited, is a helpful step towards the practice of safer sex.
ReplyDelete